Chizik suggests he is open to bringing a transfer quarterback to Auburn in 2011

Auburn coach Gene Chizik said he opposes a push to change roster management rules in the SEC.

DESTIN, Fla. -- Auburn coach Gene Chizik suggested today at the SEC spring meetings he is open to accepting a transfer quarterback this season.

Former North Carolina State quarterback Russell Wilson, who has one year of eligibility remaining, visited Auburn last week. Chizik was asked if he was receptive to taking a transfer quarterback for 2011.

"When it comes to the recruiting part of it, my job as the head coach at Auburn is to make sure we're going to develop our roster the best way we see fit to help Auburn win," Chizik said. "So as we go down the recruiting road, whoever gives us that opportunity to win at Auburn -- whether it's a junior college transfer or high school (player) or whoever we feel fits the bill to continuously improve Auburn's football team to give us a chance to compete for a championship -- then obviously that's my job and I"m for it."

NCAA rules don't allow Chizik to talk specifically about Wilson, who is currently playing minor-league baseball. Chizik did not say when a decision would have to be made to bring in a transfer for 2011.

"If we evaluate everything and at that particular time, whenever it would be, if we feel like it would be an opportunity for someone to help our football team, then we'd be all for it," he said. "But no, we have not had those discussions."

Asked about his comfort level with returning quarterbacks Barrett Trotter and Clint Moseley, Chizik replied, "I'm comfortable with the whole team. I'm comfortable with the competition level that is continuous there and continuous through fall practice."

Chizik opposes new oversigning proposals. Nick Saban and many other SEC coaches have been outspoken in recent months that they want the flexibility to continue oversigning. Chizik hasn't been as vocal but feels the same way.

One proposal under discussion this week is limiting annual signing classes to 25, down from 28. The new limit would cover signees from Dec. 1 to Aug. 1, reducing the time when coaches can exceed 25 by enrolling players before or after those dates. The current 28-player cap, which became a national rule last season, covers signees from the February signing date to May 31.

"There were a lot of people who agreed that (28 signees per year) would be an effective idea to address the problems people were worried about," Chizik said. "We amended the legislation one year ago. In my opinion, it's worked. In my opinion, I'm very comfortable with where it is right now. So for us to turn around a year later and want to change it again, I have my doubts about us having given it enough time to really figure out whether it's broke or not."

Chizik acknowledged there are instances when a late surprise in August can leave a player without a scholarship.

"I don't think any of us can say that's never happened. .... But I think the majority of people always want to do what's best for the student-athlete and his family," Chizik said. "I can only speak about it at Auburn and I can say that's not something we'd ever intend to do."

Chizik said it would be "extremely taxing" and a "huge undertaking" for coaches to only be allowed to sign 25 and get all 25 into school.

"When you sit in our seat every day for 26 years, you see all the different things that could happen," Chizik said. "Are there some risk/reward chances you have to take on guys? Absolutely. Everybody across the country does it every year. Unfortunately, every school doesn't recruit every single kid who is 300 points above the SAT and has a 3.0 GPA. That's not realistic. We also want to give kids opportunities to be student-athletes as well."

Chizik stopped short of saying the SEC has a competitive advantage over other conferences by oversigning but added: "We want to keep our rosters to the point where we can compete with everybody else."

Advice from Mack Brown. Chizik turned to an old friend for advice on life after winning the national title: Texas coach Mack Brown. Chizik was Brown's defensive coordinator when the Longhorns won the national championship after the 2005 season.

"He's always been a guy I felt really comfortable with just talking through things that he's experienced in his long tenure as a head coach," Chizik said. "We've talked about kind of moving forward. We've always been very similar in ideas anyways in terms of doing things on football-related issues."

Chizik says his life has not changed since Auburn's national championship in January.

Auburn-Alabama rivalry gets dose of perspective. It's been an unusual year for the state's football rivalry, including the poisoning of Auburn's oak trees, allegedly by an Alabama fan.

"The actions of small, small percentages of people aren't really indicative of what the rivalry is all about," Chizik said. "I would say that if the people who aren't involved in the rivalry had respect for each other like the coaches and players do on the field, I think that would be a good thing. Because it's a great rivalry."

Chizik said regardless of who people in Alabama root for, the state needs everyone's support in the wake of the deadly tornadoes on April 27.

"Whether you're Alabama or Auburn, it's the state of Alabama and we all have to pull together to recover and it's going to take whatever people can give," Chizik said. "Some of it will be time, some of it will be money, some of it may be whatever. But it's going to take a long time and I would just urge the people in our state to not forget, even if they don't hear about it every day or read about it every day, that it's real and out there."